XR constantly losing app connection?

Update: Mantas Kačinskas (a Facebook OW Group user) suggest to change the Stand-By configuration of the OW App.
Yo have to set your Android phone to 'Developer Mode' (check here).
Then you have to go to Developer Settings, System, Advanced Options, Developer Options, scroll a lot until 'StandBy Apps', look for OW App, and ser a higher priority setting: Frequent o Working State.
I've tried and now while the phone is locked, the OW App seems to keep connected.
Anyway. Theses are work arounds, not REAL solutions to the connectivity problems of some BT modules. Since it is a RF problem, is a little bit of hit and miss. Some users have better lucky than others.

So I emailed Future Motion asking them what they did to fix my board to stay connected to Bluetooth. I have had it back for about a month now and have not lost connection yet, So I am super stoked and this was their reply,

Great to hear the board is working great for you. Looks like the techs went ahead and replaced the controller circuit board within your board that resolved the Bluetooth issue you were experiencing. Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions.

@Whiplash My board just got back from repair and I can say that my BT connection problem has been solved!!! and it took only 2 weeks, and I live in BC.
FM sent me a note: "The technicians found that your Bluetooth was not working up to specification so they replaced the entire circuit board and conducted rigorous testing."
Happy Day!

@flix123 I'm excited to get mine back from FutureMotion tomorrow. They write
**"Our technicians replaced your controller circuit board on your board after discovering the Bluetooth was not working up to specification. After testing it appears to be back in action!
Have a good day,
Team Onewheel"
It's a shame to have had to go through this much work to get a functional product, but I'll be glad to use it again.

I know this isn't going to make sense, but Sunday when I rode after a long absence, I found that the app stayed connected most of the time on my newer XR, which has been having problems disconnecting all the time. In fact, the only times I noticed it disconnect, was when I was stopped and a few feet from the board.

So what was different this time, you ask? Well, I have NOT downloaded the latest app update. Seems some are having probs with it, so I decided to wait awhile. BUT I did activate a new Apple Watch complication, which puts a OW icon on the face of my watch. Now, I don't see how that should make a difference, because I was already using my Apple Watch before, when I had all the disconnects. But there it is. Go figure.

Mine came back from service after only 4 business days. I was without the board for about 10 days (FedEx ground).
The controller was upgraded to 4209. Now the Bluetooth connection is perfect! No drops! Connects to all my devices...
Totally worth the wait! Customer service representative was also great!

So I received my board about 2 weeks ago now and I definitely received one of the faulty controllers. I'm on hardware version 4208 like everyone else in the thread and the bluetooth connection is very inconsistent and unreliable. Drops all the time, if I'm able to connect at all.

I was worried about having to send it away for a long time because I live in Germany, so naturally the whole shipping process is much slower. But after talking with the support they said they will send me instructions of how to open the board up and remove the controller. I'll send them the controller module, which should be significantly easier and faster to ship, and they'll evaluate it and send me a new controller back. I haven't heard of anyone else doing that in the thread so I thought I'd make a post in case there are other non-americans out there debating whether or not to have it repaired. Hopefully the process is a lot more painless like this.

In my opinion I think they should recall all of the possibly affected devices that have not yet left a warehouse, and they should make the repair process much easier for people who are affected. The least they could do is come out with a public apology. So many people are affected by this. A product of this price should not have any compromises. The app is a vital part of the Onewheel experience and it's a shame a lot of people don't get to experience it fully because of this issue. /rant

So I received my board about 2 weeks ago now and I definitely received one of the faulty controllers. I'm on hardware version 4208 like everyone else in the thread and the bluetooth connection is very inconsistent and unreliable. Drops all the time, if I'm able to connect at all.

I was worried about having to send it away for a long time because I live in Germany, so naturally the whole shipping process is much slower. But after talking with the support they said they will send me instructions of how to open the board up and remove the controller. I'll send them the controller module, which should be significantly easier and faster to ship, and they'll evaluate it and send me a new controller back. I haven't heard of anyone else doing that in the thread so I thought I'd make a post in case there are other non-americans out there debating whether or not to have it repaired. Hopefully the process is a lot more painless like this.

In my opinion I think they should recall all of the possibly affected devices that have not yet left a warehouse, and they should make the repair process much easier for people who are affected. The least they could do is come out with a public apology. So many people are affected by this. A product of this price should not have any compromises. The app is a vital part of the Onewheel experience and it's a shame a lot of people don't get to experience it fully because of this issue. /rant

I Think this could be the perfect solution also for me.
I have the same issue with a weak but connection and I'm from Italy so sending just a small part instead of all the board could be perfect.
Waiting for a response from FM

@tartax Yes! Hope it works out for you! Please keep us updated with the repair process. I will post again as well as soon as I get mine back. I think it's important for as many as possible to document their repair experience with this issue.

@skyman88 I hope so! I'm not sure they'd appreciate if I shared that on a public forum. It's nothing special, just a step by step guide with pictures, but if it's not already publicly available I don't want to be the one who puts it out there. Don't want to piss them off when I'm sending my precious baby in for repair.

I've never seen something like that from FM before so I'm a little surprised but also really happy to hear it.

I've badgered a couple of boards and done tire swaps, so I know how easy it is to take the board apart, was more just curious if their instructions were like a true how to manual with cartoon images. Don't forget about the two screws under the white stickers!

@Whiplash Your suggestion to change AVRCP from 1.4. to 1.6 also worked with my combination of OW+ and Android 9.0 phone. Quickened the initial connection and greatly reduced GPS tracking dropouts and disconnections. Also seemed to reduce audio dropouts on my PowerBeats earphones when streaming Pandora. Thanks for the tip.

Finally got my XR in for the bluetooth issue (sending from Hawaii to San Jose was quite the challenge, but after a month FM and FedEx finally got their acts together) and got it back yesterday. Like others, they replaced the controller with 4209 and it's working like it should have been when I bought it back in October last year. Still not sure why they're not shipping with this fix as new folks still seem to be getting 4208. Unless a certain percentage of the 4208 boards work ok, but still, can't they test them before shipping them out?

Does anyones automatically connect when you turn on your OW? I mean, do you have to unlock your phone then start the app for it to connect? Seems like it could be more like turning on bluetooth headphones - they just connect when you turn them on or activate them. This thread made me question if mine is bad or if this is just how it's designed. Once it's connected mine seems to stay connected when the phone is locked and I do get alerts. But if I don't unlock the phone and open the app - it doesn't connect even though there's a setting to "auto-connect". So most of the time I don't use the app - only when I want to check the battery level. Mine is 4208.